Elements for the support of refractory anchors



Dec. 3, 1968 R. c. STEPHENS 3,413,768

ELEMENTS FOR THE SUPPORT OF REFRACTORY ANCHORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 18, 1967 ATTORNEY Dec. 3, 1968 R. c. STEPHENS 3,413,768

ELEMENTS FOR THE SUPPORT OF REFRACTORY ANCHORS Filed Jan. 18, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M/I/DVTOA? R065? C. STEPA/i/VS United States Patent 3,413,768 ELEMENTS FOR THE SUPPORT OF REFRACTORY ANCHORS Roger C. Stephens, Hamburg, N.Y., assignor to Dresser Industries, Inc., Dallas, Tex., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 18, 1967, Ser. No. 610,092 3 Claims. (Cl. 52-484) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosure concerns the use of a hanger element made of a single length of wire rod bent to form a support for refractory anchors.

This invention relates to overhead suspended furnace roofs and, more particularly, to roofs of furnaces of the soaking pit type. The invention is likewise applicable to the construction of arches or inclined walls, wherein refractory shapes are suspended from some manner of steel reinforcing structure.

It has been common to fabricate such as soaking pit roofs and the like of a plurality of refractory brick, which brick are supported from contiguously overlying support structure. It is not unusual for each brick in the roof to have a separate support mechanism associated therewith. It is also common to use spaced, preformed, refractory anchors as the support for refractory monolith which is rammed, gunned, or cast into place.

The hanger structure for the brick or preformed anchors has long been a subject of experimentation and improvisation. Since the hanger structure is usually of metal, it is susceptible to deformation and/or destruction by heat. Some support structures, such as shown in US. Patent No. 3,132,447, when in the form of castings, are not as thermal shock-resistant as desired. In some instances, when the support structure is too close to the upper face of the brick or refractory being supported, massive heat transfer can cause deformation of the support structure. In addition, when repairing or patching a roof, it may be necessary to cut supporting beams in order to place the hanger structure in place. In addition, when a furnace campaign is well advanced, the superstructure (usually consisting of a plurality of heavy steel beams) can be warped. Such superstructure is sometimes used a plurality of times, and over extensive use war-ping can be accentuated. Such conditions further complicate use of conventional hanger structure. It is not unusual to have oversize and undersize hanger beams, which adds to the problem of finding a universally acceptable hanger structure for a given roof.

Some hanger structure includes means to either wedgeup or wedge-down a brick should it be necessary to tighten it in place, and depending on whether the refractory will ultimately be in tension or in compression. Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide simplified hanger structure which is more readily usable then most comparable prior arrangements of which I am aware and which overcomes or, to a great extent, lessens the disadvantages or problems outlined above. A plurality of substantially identical hanger elements according to my invention can be used in a given roof without regard to slightly oversized or undersized support members or beams or warped parts thereof. In addition, the hanger structure of the invention is readily adaptable to allow wedging-up or wedging-down of the refractory shapes. It also, by its very nature, assists in dissipating heat which may be conducted to it from contact with the refractory it supports.

Briefly, according to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a hanger element which consists of a conice tinuous rod-like member. The member has been bent to form a generally rectangular configuration, which generally rectangular configuration has been in turn bent to form a U-shaped element. Respective bent end members or sections of the U-shaped element are :of substantially equal overall dimension.

The U-shaped element is arranged to be positioned over support structure with its respective bent end members seated in spaced parallel grooves in the top of an anchor brick or the like.

A better understanding of the invention is believed had by a study of the following detailed description together with reference to the exemplary appended drawings. In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary schematic perspective view of a portion of a monolithic roof structure indicating a manner of usage of hangers according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one of the anchor brick or shapes with which the hanger of this invention is used in constructing the arrangement of FIG. 1; and FIG. 2A is a top view thereof;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are end and side views, respectively, of a hanger element according to this invention; and

FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C are schematically illustrative of three steps in mounting an anchor brick on hanger structure of this invention.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a monolithic refractory roof or wall. It is suspended from conventional roof superstructure comprised of longitudinal and crossbeams 10 and 11. Preformed refractory anchor brick 12 are suspended from the longitudinal members 10 by hanger elements 13. The monolith and anchors can be of any compatible conventional refractory substances. In a preferred embodiment, the anchors are ceramically bonded brick of the type disclosed and claimed in US. Patent No. 3,067,050, Example Q in table IV. The monolith 14 can be of the same composition, but in the form of a plastic which is rammed in place about the anchors.

The anchors of FIG. 1 vary slightly from the conventional type; for example, as shown in US. Patent No. 3,132,447. The anchors 12 are generally of square configuration and comprised of a plurality of rib and valley sections 15 and 16, respectively. However, the uppermost or cold end of the exemplary anchor is rectangular rather than square. Its long dimension is equivalent to the width of a rib 15, and its smaller dimension is equivalent to the refractory across a valley 16. Thus, the cold end has a generally T-shaped configuration, viewed from a side. The reason for this will be apparent when I discuss FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C, below.

The lhanger element 13 is a continuous rod-like member bent to form a generally rectangular configuration, which generally configuration is in turn bent to form a U-shaped element. As shown in FIG. 3, viewed from an end, there is a pair of downwardly-extending, outwardly-diverging legs 20 and 20A connected at their top by a web 21. There are two U-shaped sections substantially identical to that shown in FIG. 3, which are interconnected with each other by stringers 21 and 21A. Viewed from a side, one likewise receives the impression of a U-shape. However, the end view, as shown in FIG. 3, is an inverted U.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the hanger structure 13 is mounted over one of the support beams 10 so its narrower end-stringers or webs 21 rest on an upper surface of the beam. The anchors 12 are inserted between the spaced pair of stringers 21 and 21A. Upon insertion, as shown in FIG. 5B, the anchor 12 is rotated to place the outwardlyextending arm portions of the T-shaped top of the anchor over the spaced stringers or webs 21 and 21A. The anchor is then supported, as shown in FIG. 5C.

Since the hanger element of this invention is of goodquality steel alloy rod; for example, 302 Stainless Steel, it is much more shock-resistant than cast support elements. The anchor element with which it is interconnected is spaced as far away as possible from the supporting webs 21, which are in contact with the superstructure in the coolest location. Because of its wire-like configuration, it is particularly adapted to dissipating any heat which may be picked up from an associated anchor element.

FIGS. 3 and 4 can be considered approximately to scale. In such an arrangement, the stainless steel rod from which the hanger element is constructed has about a diameter, and the I-beam support element is about 3" in height.

In the drawings, I have shown a single length of rod joined by a weld at 50; but it should be understood a plurality of shorter sections, or even two mirror-image sections, can be preformed and then welded together to form the unitary element 13.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the legs 20 and 20A outwardly diverge, since the support structure is usually of a lesser dimension than the anchor brick. Also, there has to be provision for rotation of the anchor between the webs 21 and 21A. However, because it is a Having thus described the invention in detail and with sufiicient particularity as to enable those skilled in the art to practice it, what is desired to have protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. For use in combination with a refractory wall or roof including a plurality of anchor elements and exterior elongated supporting beams or the like which extend in parallel arrangement across the exterior of said wall or roof, said anchor having a hot end and a cold end, the upper face of the anchor which serves as the cold end characterized by unequal perpendicularly intersecting bi sectors, said anchor elements having at least a pair of opposed parallel grooves formed adjacent the cold end thereof in opposed sides of said anchor parallel to the longer of said bisectors but at a position spaced below the cold end of said anchor, a plurality of hanger elements for supporting said anchors, said hanger elements being a continuous, resilient rod-like member bent to form a generally rectangular configuration, which generally is in turn bent to form a U-shaped element, respective bent end members of which are of substantially equal overall dimension, said U-shaped element being comprised of a spaced parallel pair of substantially fiat webs each of which webs containing a pair of unidirectionally extending legs at opposed ends, each of which legs is connected to a leg of a spaced web by a stringer, there being two stringers of substantially equal length, support beams having upper and lower surfaces of substantial width, said webs being supported on the upper surface of one of said support beams and perpendicular to the longitude thereof.

said stringers being positioned over the cold end of the anchor to encompass the cold end thereof at least to a depth ofsaid groove, said cold end engaging the lower surface of said support beam, said anchor having means for facilitating rotation thereof relative to the vertical midpoint thereof against said resilient hanger to thereby set the cold end through and above said stringers, thereby supporting the anchors.

2. The hanger element of claim 1 in which said stringers are a distance apart which is greater than the length of a web.

3. The hanger of claim 1 in which said hanger appears as a downwardly-opening generally U-shaped configuration which diverges from a said web to the end of said legs.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,370,557 2/1968 Birse 52-486 X 2,140,185 12/1938 Hosbein 99 2,659,325 11/1953 Honig 1l099 3,161,162 12/1964 Homolya 52484 FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner. s. D. BURKE, Assistant Examiner. 

